Insulative silicon-containing oxides (e.g., SiO2, silicates, silicon-oxynitrides, etc.) are used in numerous constructions of integrated circuitry. Such may be used to laterally or elevationally separate different components of integrated circuitry. Additionally, such materials may be used within individual integrated circuit components. For example, such materials may be used as some or all of a capacitor insulator of a capacitor. Additionally, such materials may be used as some or all of a gate insulator of a field effect transistor. Further, such may be used in whole or in part as programmable material in a memory cell or as another part of a memory cell.
Insulative silicon oxide-containing insulator materials may be formed in many manners. For example, such may be formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and by thermal oxidation of an outermost region of a substrate that comprises silicon. Silicon-containing oxides formed by oxidation of silicon typically form what are considered as very high-quality oxides that are desired to be used in parts of integrated circuit components such as those referred to above. However, as integrated circuitry density has increased and therewith the size of individual circuit components has decreased, the thickness of silicon-containing insulative oxides has become thinner as well. It can be difficult to form very thin layers of silicon-containing insulative oxides by thermal oxidation without consuming significant quantities of underlying elemental silicon, for example consuming at least 10 Angstroms of silicon and in many instances much more. This can be problematic in many instances.
While the inventions described herein were motivated in addressing the above-identified issues, all aspects of the inventions are not necessarily so limited.